This document discusses how to deal with "zombie" products - those that are no longer living or thriving but are still generating some revenue. It outlines several types of zombie products companies may have and reasons why they occur. It then provides recommendations for how to address zombies, including presenting a compelling business case that highlights their true costs, providing a clear roadmap, supporting migration, empowering customer communities, and using carrots and sticks to encourage adoption of new offerings. The goal is to end support for obsolete products and redirect resources to fuel growth through new innovations.

1. 2013
Product Zombie
Apocalypse
Dave Nash
2013

2. 2013
Zombie Before & After
• They were once living, thriving, growing products
• Now they’re undead, and they will kill you
• You must cross the ‘other Chasm’

3. 2013
Have you seen these Zombies?
Let’s Meet the Family
The ‘a few customers really love it’ Zombie
The ‘it’s not really costing us anything’ Zombie
The ‘it’s pure profit!’ Zombie
The ‘if we kill it, they will go elsewhere’ Zombie

4. 2013
Why the Apocalypse?
• All your energy goes into creation & launch
• Different organizations take ownership
• Organizational incentives: eg. take MSS vs. maintain
• Change is Hard, for customers and for You
• …
• …

5. 2013
Your Weapons
• Compelling Value of new offering!
– Must exceed the switching cost
• The ever-popular business case
– Team up with the CFO/Controller, not just
the sales force!
– Discover & assert the hidden costs
• Your roadmap
– show what’s coming and what’s going
• Whole Products, including migration
• A culture of change & constant
improvement – no surprises
• Customer Community

6. 2013
They’re Killing You
• Not all revenue is good revenue
• Your real costs:
– Support
– Maintenance of Technical Debt
– Operational Costs
• Opportunity Costs
– How much is not accelerating your new product
costing?

7. 2013
Your Roadmap
• Explicitly show EoL products
• Plenty of warning
• Migration must be integral & ongoing
• Learn from Microsoft
– Clear end-of-support periods
– Options for extended-support subscriptions
– Stop investing in keeping zombies alive

8. 2013
Your Whole Product
Capabilities
Training
Help & Support
Adoption /
Migration Tools
Community

9. 2013
The Power of a Users group
You’re less likely to strand customers if you:
• Give away your last-gen knowledge base
• Give away older, still-useful support tools
• Enable them to self-support

10. 2013
Zombie carrot & Stick
• Seducing customers with
special upgrade offers ‘just for
them’
• Understand & address
switching costs
• You won’t convert them all so
don’t have that as your goal

11. 2013
My Zombies
• Dealer Data Access Programs
– More is better, right?
– Consolidated 9 programs into 1
• Terminal Emulation
– Technical debt
– New technology solution

12. 2013
Happy Hunting
• Compelling Value of new offering!
– Must exceed the switching cost
• The ever popular business case
– Team up with the CFO/Controller, not just
the sales force
– Discover & assert the hidden costs
• Your roadmap
– show what’s coming and going
• Whole Products
• A culture of change & constant
improvement – no surprises
• Customer Community